Pulling On My Heart Strings
by Ookami Tsubasawa
Summary: Sasori noticed two hauntingly beautiful eyes peeking through the rips in the bundle of rags on the street. He knew he had to see what it was, but his Grandmother pulled him away. But he needed to see. He needed to know.
1. The Cursed Child Tsukimono Kara

* * *

**Kodomono norowa re ta Tsukimono Kara**

* * *

"Sasori dear?" my grandmother asked confused, wondering why I had suddenly stopped. For a minute that seemed an eternity I was silent. "Sasori?" she repeated concerned.

"Chiyo-baabaa, who's that?" I asked, pointing in front of us.

"No one's there Sasori" she replied, following my gaze. "It's just a pile of rags."

"No, no, look closer" I said, my voice a light whisper. She crouched to my level and narrowed her eyes.

"Hmmm... I don't see-" she began, but then she stopped falling silent, her eyes widening.

"Baa-baa?" I asked, puzzled at her change of facial expression.

"Come Sasori, lets go home, I promised I'd buy you candy and the shop's the other way" she said taking my hand and turning away. There was a slight tremor in her voice that sparked my interest.

"Demo baa-baa, that's the long way"

"Demo it's getting late, so it's the safer way", she said, her pace quickening. I looked back to see the blankets shift slightly, revealing two hauntingly beautiful eyes, peeking through a rip in the old cloths. I wanted to go back for a better look, but Grandmother Chiyo had already pulled us round the corner, the bundle disappearing from sight.

* * *

"Here you are Sasori" Chiyo-baabaa chirped, handing me a white paper bag with sweets in. We'd only just made it in time as we'd gone the long way.

"Chiyo-baabaa who was she?" I asked.

"Who was who?" she asked, seeming a bit nervous again.

"The girl under the rags" I said, as I popped a sweet into my mouth. She sighed a long sigh, and looked over at me.

"You're too smart for your own good, just like your father was" Chiyo-baabaa said. "Very well Sasori, though I'm afraid not a whole lot is known about her. She's known as the '_cursed child_' and supposedly brings about bad luck. I saw her the day I got news of your parents' death." Chiyo-baabaa's face became bitter.

"She's called Tsukimono Kara. Her mother died giving birth, and her father died on a mission the day after."

"So she's an orphan like me?" I asked looking up. Chiyo-baabaa's face softened.

"In a way, but you still have me" she said a smile lighting up her face. I wanted to see that girl again. No... I _needed_ to see that girl again.

* * *

"Sasoriiii, Sasori where're you going?" Chiyo-baabaa called. Since Okaa-san and Otou-san had passed away, I had been living with her. Though I did adore my Grandmother, I couldn't deny she was rather annoying. But then again she is old, and old people usually end up going batty. Or maybe she was still being over protective, I don't know. But I'm quite capable of looking after myself, I may still just be a kid, but I'm not stupid.

"Just for a little walk baabaa!" I called back.

"Don't be too long! I have to go to a meeting later and I don't want to leave you locked out!"

"I'll just go to the park if that happens baabaa don't worry!" I replied. As I opened the door. I closed it behind me and started walking along the streets of Sunagakure.

_Where could she be?_

Better not ask anyone. After the way Chiyo-baabaa talked about her, even if I asked they wouldn't tell me. No, they'd go straight to Chiyo-baabaa and I'd get a huge lecture the minute I got home.

I went to the place I saw her yesterday. She wasn't there. There was nothing except a few strips of dirty cloth and a silver chain half buried by sand. I lifted it up. Maybe it belonged to her? At least now I have an excuse to go find her.

But... how? I looked round, hoping for some sort of clue in the direction she could have gone. Sunagakure was a big place. It wouldn't be easy to find her. I pouted slightly in annoyance.

_Where in the dessert did she go?_

* * *

After searching for three hours with no luck, I headed back home as I was very thirsty. Only to find Chiyo-baabaa had already gone to her meeting and had indeed locked me out.

So with nothing else to do, I went to the park. It was surprisingly empty, usually quite a few of the local kids came here to play. But today there was no one. How peculiar.

My attention was caught by the sound of light sobbing. I followed the noise over to the slide, but couldn't see anything. Where _was_ that noise coming from?

"Konnichiwa?" I said, hoping for an answer. I heard a frightened squeak, as something dashed out from underneath the slide. "Matte!" I cried my eyes widening in recognition.

The tattered rag was wrapped tightly round her as a cloak of sorts, covering her head. She tripped on the long cloth, falling onto her front with an oomph.

"Anou... Doushita?" I asked. She looked up at me and went to scurry away, but I grabbed hold of her cloak. No doubt it was her, I'd never seen eyes like that before. Silvery, blue I'd say, even looked a little lilac.

"Is this yours?" I asked holding up the chain. She shook her head, seeming scared as she stared at me.

"Are you Tsukimono Kara?" I asked. She faltered. Well if I was hated by everyone, I wouldn't admit my name. "I saw you yesterday" I said.

"That's bad luck!" she squeaked. How can a person bring bad luck? It doesn't make sense to me.

"Nande?" I asked.

"Bad things happen around me" she said hiccoughing as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"How's that you're fault?"

"Everyone says so!" she said.

"That doesn't mean it's right" I said. Most of the things baa-chan comes out with are a load of gobbledegook.

"Douzo! You can't know me! It's forbidden!" she cried. Her hood slipped.

"Yare!" she cried pulling it back up.

"Why do you-?" I began shocked.

"I have to go! Pretend you never met me! Sayonara!" she cried hastily running into the shadows and disappearing from sight.

_Why did she have animal ears?_


	2. Stay Away

* * *

**Chikadhukanai**

* * *

For quite a while, I didn't catch so much of a glimpse of Tsukimono Kara. I listened out as I passed by people, just in case I could find something out about her.

_She intrigued me._

I didn't meet her again until I joined the academy. Chiyo-baabaa made a huge fuss, going on about how I would become a great shinobi just like my parents.

Seeing as I was now in the academy and not wandering the streets most of the time, Chiyo-baabaa usually worked late. Not that I minded, actually it was rather nice having time on my own, just me and my puppets.

But one day, while I lay awake in the still, dark night, I heard Baabaa come home.

* * *

"Shh! Careful you clumsy idiot or you'll wake Sasori!" I heard Chiyo-baabaa snap.

"Sumimasen-neechan!" I heard her brother reply. His voice lowered slightly, but as my uncle was, he didn't do a great job of keeping his voice down.

_"Did you hear all that fuss going on about Tsukimono Kara?_

My eyes widened, I lay perfectly still, desperate to catch every word.

"What did you expect with her record!" Chiyo-baabaa said irritably. She must have had a long day again. "Most of us were for kicking her out! But instead they're taking a risk saying she could be a good weapon and it would keep her out of trouble!"

"Come on Onee-chan! She's just a scrap of a kid!" he reasoned.

"She's grief we don't need!" Chiyo-baabaa stormed. "Now if you don't mind I am going to bed!"

I heard the front door close, and baabaa shuffle past my door on the way to her own room, muttering about 'useless authoritive people'.

* * *

I watched as the winds blew fiercely outside. I'd never seen such a bad sandstorm. The wind whipped the glass on the window, the window barely withstanding the blow.

Well I guess there's no school today.

I sighed to myself as I folded my arms resting my head on the top as I leaned on the windowsill. Chiyo-baabaa had already gone to work early this morning and wasn't due back until late anyway. Not that she'd be coming back at all tonight if this storm kept up.

I gazed outside boredly, barely able to keep my eyes open. I was tired, bored and lonely.

Plus I'd been altering my puppets and wasn't in the mood to finish them off now. So I couldn't play with them either.

I noticed a shadow in the sand. Had it uprooted a tree of sorts? Or maybe demolished a house? No the shadow's far too small for that. As there was a break in the sand I saw the shadow tumble backwards, smacking into the still stubbornly rooted tree.

_Since when do shadow's stumble?_

Then it hit me. Kami-sama someone was outside in that storm! Are they completely insane?! They'll get killed. There was a bang that made me jump out my skin.

Cloth?

**_KARA?!_**

I ran to my front door. I put my hand on the handle. I must be insane...

Pulling my scarf tightly around me to shield me as much as possible I opened the door and ran outside.

Using chakra to stick myself firmly to the ground I ran over to her.

"Kara? Kara!" I said shaking her. She had a bruise forming over her right eye where she had supposedly smacked into the tree. I picked her up, turned tail and ran straight back in doors, the door slamming behind me.

I layed her down on the sofa and returned to attempting to shake her awake.

"Kara-san? Kara-san wake up" I said. Her eyelashes fluttered and she grimaced, putting her hand to her head.

"Itai..." she hissed. After smacking into a tree it's not surprising she has a headache.

"Anou... Kara?" I asked. She jumped out her skin, sitting up in surprise and her head collided with mine. I put a hand to my now throbbing forehead.

Ouch...

I sighed, reaching over and placed a hand on her rapidly swelling bump. She opened an eye, then the other snapped open.

"S-Sasori-sama?" she cried in a hoarse whisper. I'm surprised she actually knew my name. I was rather quiet in the academy, didn't really have _friends_. I kept to myself, although the odd girl came over and attempted to talk to me now and then. Not that I paid any attention to them. I simply ignored them and carried on with whatever I was doing.

My hand glowed with a greenish chakra. Baabaa had taught me basic medical ninjutsu saying that it was important and could come in handy. Well now it was.

My hand touched her forehead and almost immediately the swelling went down and the purplish green surrounding it disappeared.

"Is that better?" I questioned. She blushed with embarrassment.

"Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Sasori-sama!" she cried bowing with every word, coming close to smacking her head again, this time on the floor.

She was very, very quiet in the academy. No friends whatsoever. Never spoke to anyone, except when spoken to, or to apologise for messing up, which she did rather a lot. Never had I come across a girl _so clumsy_. The amount of times she walked into things...

"A-a-anou... S-sasori-sama?" she stuttered nervously.

"Mmm?" I replied, to show I was listening. She placed her hand on my head. Her hand glowed green and I felt the bump on my head disappear.

"Arigatou" I said smiling. She blushed darker.

"W-well I really should b-be g-g-going. I m-mean b-b-bad luck and all" she said quickly turning and making a bee line for the door.

"You really should stay"

She froze, slowly turning her head to face me.

"Oro?" she asked confused.

"It's a very vicious storm, it's not safe out there" I said, motioning towards the window, which just so happened to have a broken branch thrown at it that very moment. But still, the window held.

"I'll be perfectly-" she began.

"I would appreciate company" I said, a smile tugging at my lips.


	3. A Place To Call Home

* * *

**Ie ni denwasuru basho**

* * *

"But I would be intruding! And oh what if your parents came home and saw me you would be in so much trouble and-"

"Calm down, it's perfectly fine. I don't have parents, they were killed during a mission, besides baabaa will have to stay at work tonight looking at the storm" I said. How can someone make such a big fuss over something so little?

A funny high pitched squeak came from her as she bowed in apology, succeeding in smacking her head again. Then of course, she apologised about being an idiot. I sighed impatiently. I never had much patience with anything...

"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it. Go take a shower, you're covered in sand from head to foot, besides it'll make you feel better" I said, trying to stop her mad wave of apologies.

"Oh but I couldn't! You've been too kind to me already and I'll break it and-" I placed a hand on her head, her ears perked up and her hood fell down. With a squeak she quickly pulled it back up.

"It's fine. You can use some of my clothes seeing as yours are so ripped, you're teased enough as it is" I said.

"Oh Sasori-sama! Arigatou! Arigatou! Arigatou!" she cried, her eyes shining with sincere tears, her arms moved forward slightly and for a moment I thought she was going to throw herself at me, she managed to hold herself back though. I felt my cheeks heat slightly.

"Douitashimashite" I said. "Down the hall, first door on your left."

With repeated thank you's, she scurried away. Banging into the wall due to the fact she was thanking me so much.

How a shower could make someone so happy was beyond me. I heard the water get turned on and heard a squeak, probably meaning the water was too cold. I would've asked her if she needed help, but then I would probably startle her, and she would damage the bathroom and go into another wave of apologies.

I sighed.

_Tsukimono Kara was indeed strange..._

I heard the water turn off and realised I had been standing still gazing into space for the last fifteen minutes.

I pulled out some of my clothes, walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. I'd obviously startled her, as the next second there was a bang.

"Yare! Yare! Please don't be broken!" I heard her cry. Without really thinking I turned the handle and opened the door.

She was sitting on the floor holding the back of her head with one hand, the other running along the crack in the sink, water flying everywhere from the taps.

"Kara-san?"

"Eep! Oh Sasori-sama! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen!" she cried. Well at least she wasn't bowing this time. The heat rushed to my face.

"Kara-san, you're allowed to use the towels you know" I said looking away. It was a good thing her back was to me and her hair was so long.

I placed the neatly folded clothes on the windowsill and left her to change.

* * *

She came out five minutes later, apologising over and over for breaking the sink. I assured her it was no problem, as that bathroom wasn't really used much. After all Chiyo-baabaa did have a very big house.

My clothes were very loose on her, practically hanging of her small frame. But she didn't look as much of a trap now. In fact, seeing her reasonably clean, she was actually quite good looking compared to what she usually looked like.

Her long sandy coloured hair was shiny with natural waves. Surprisingly, it was in quite good condition seeing as I doubt it had ever been cut. Why was she apologising now? For making my clothes wet with her damp hair, for breaking the sink, for flooding the bathroom, for being out in the storm, for saving her, for healing her, that I'd ever met her, that she was so troublesome...

"Kara-san, there's no need to apologise, I did those things of my own free will" I said. I went and got another towel (the only one still dry) and put it over her head. I towel dried her hair, trying not to hurt her ears. I didn't want her to catch a cold.

"That should do Kara-san" I said, removing the towel from her head. She was beet red and looking off into the corner.

"A-arig-gatou Gozaimas-su" she said. I had an idea and went into another room. I didn't want to leave her too long so I tried to be quick.

I walked out and handed her a thick ribbon. She looked at me confused.

"You can use it to hide your ears" I said, smiling down at her. She smiled and started crying.

_How does that work?_

"Arigatou Sasori-sama!" She cried, throwing her arms round my middle and hugging me tight.

* * *

"The storm's clearing Sasori-sama I really should go" I said awkwardly, pulling at my hair. Hed'd been ever so kind to me and I really, really didn't deserve it."If you're sure Kira-san" he said. I couldn't believe Sasori-sama was talking to me, that he'd saved me. I nodded, turning to leave. I faced him and bowed before I left accidentally headbutting the door as I went to leave.  
_I'm such a baka..._

* * *

Night had fallen, the sands were still once more, the feircestorm over. Sunagakure was quiet now, only a few drunkards about. I sighed looking at my feet.

I'd caused Sasori-sama so much trouble... I really am worthless. I was so busy scolding myself that I walked into someone.

"Gomenasai! Gomenasai!" I cried, bowing repeatedly.

_"Why are you wearing Sasori's clothes"_

I looked up, only to see Chiyo-sama, a higher up and Sasori-sama's grandmother. She was looking at me with a mixture of distrust and dislike.

"A-a-a-a-n-n-nou" I stuttered, my voice becoming lost before someone so important.

"Answer me Tsukimono Kara" she said sternly.

Instead of a stutter, it all came out in a big jumble.

"WellyouseetherewasastormandherescuedmeandgavemehisclothesadwasreallyniceandIdidntdeserveitandimsorryimreallyreallysorryIdidn'tmeantohonestly--"

"I see" Chiyo-sama said. I barely understood what I was saying so how she could was beyond me. She narrowed her eyes looking at me coldly. "I suppose I could arrange somewhere for you to live, and give you enough money to be able to survive."

Wait? She? What?

"_On ONE condition_" she said, her eyes narrowing to slits of slits.

Unable to answer, I simply nodded.

_"You are to stay away from Sasori"_


End file.
